Jay Schiff
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
New York, NY, United States
Toptal member since February 14, 2019
Jay is a 25-year investment professional experienced in private debt, private equity, seed capital raising, originations, underwriting, portfolio management, and restructuring. As the regional head of middle-market finance at Merrill Lynch and president of Centre Lane Investment Corp., he has invested approximately $1 billion in middle-market companies. Jay consults on corporate finance advisory issues while leading an angel-funded medical device business as a co-founder and CEO.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Industry Expertise
- Finance
- Banking
- Lending & Brokerage
- Investment Banking
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
- Healthcare Services
- Medical Devices & Equipment
- Software
Other Expertise
- Capital Raising
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Statements
- Fundraising
- Private Credit
- Private Equity
- Startups
Work Experience
Co-founder | CEO
Addinex Technologies
- Devised and patented a unique, low-cost system to reduce the risk of medication misuse, including opioids and other controlled pharmaceutical substances.
- Led the company's fundraising of ~$1 million, including financial projections, executive summary, presentation deck, and legal documentation, and spearheaded investor sourcing. Awarded a $260,000 grant from the CDC and a $300,000 grant from the NIH.
- Raised convertible notes offering and series seed preferred stock round. Attracted a leading angel investor group to anchor the preferred stock raise.
- Built partnerships with a software development firm, a large regional pharmacy chain, a drug disposal company, and multiple major northeast hospitals and medical schools.
- Managed all financial functions, including financial and tax reporting. Applied for and received research and development tax credits, a NY state engineering grant, and other non-dilutive funding.
Managing Partner
Curator Capital, LLC
- Completed multiple Toptal engagements ranging from start-up advisory and fundraising to large and midcap capital markets advisory projects.
- Worked with an early-stage healthtech company to build its financial model, edit its pitch deck, advise on its capital structure and cap table, attend investor meetings, assist in term sheet negotiations, etc.
- Advised a technology-driven private debt startup on the build-out of its origination, underwriting, portfolio policies, procedures, and infrastructure, and worked full-time over two years as the head of the investment team.
- Took over management of a fund of eight special situations private debt, equity, and VC investments after the management company resigned. Liquidated the investments to help the investors recover them.
- Acted as a senior capital markets advisor for a middle market private equity firm to help raise debt capital and assist with lender relationships.
- Assisted a private equity firm in raising a $9 million second-lien term loan to help finance a $36 million acquisition, pitched the deal to dozens of alternative lenders, and generated multiple term sheets.
- Advised on acquiring a public BDC, managing more than $3 billion of private corporate debt by $9 billion REIT, analyzed and valued each portfolio investment, and interviewed all investment staff.
- Analyzed and valued each portfolio investment and negotiated the purchase price to acquire a $300 million private corporate debt portfolio by a $5 billion investment manager.
- Supported an entrepreneur-owned company in refinancing a defaulted $22 million credit facility, authored the offering memorandum, contacted more than 100 lenders, and received multiple term sheets.
- Helped a search fund source term sheets for a $14 million debt facility supporting a $31 million acquisition.
President
Centre Lane Investment Corp.
- Managed fundraising, originations, portfolio management, and operations of a middle-market private credit fund for a private equity firm.
- Invested more than $200 million, returning a 28% IRR to investors in the first two years (information publicly available via SEC) and double-digit returns over the fund's life (latter information is under NDA).
- Managed the effort to take funds public on NASDAQ as a business development company (BDC), including the completion of all filings and a national fundraising roadshow.
- Led the SBIC licensing process, including the completion of all required documentation and track record materials. Met with the SBA investment committee in Washington, DC, with one of three investment committee members approving all transactions.
Regional Head — Middle Market Finance
Merrill Lynch
- Led a team closing 26 lead-agented middle-market leveraged loan transactions totaling $588 million with no losses.
- Sourced transactions through an internal private wealth advisor network and private equity firms in the Eastern region, Merrill Lynch's largest market.
- Led internal projects, including the transition of the business to a new division, the development of profitability models, as well as the establishment of new approval guidelines.
- Participated as an investment committee member and held individual credit authority up to $15 million.
- Spoke regularly at conferences to audiences to promote the overall business.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance
New York University - New York, NY, USA
Master of Science in Accounting
New York University - New York, NY, USA
Bachelor's Degree in Economics
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY, USA
Certifications
Patent
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Series 7 and 63
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
Skills
Finance
Finance Strategy, Debt Structuring, Debt Raises, Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Angel/Seed Funding, Market Research, Seed Fundraising, Due Diligence, Capital Raising, Private Credit, Private Equity, Credit Risk, Credit Investing, Three-statement Modeling, Startup Funding, Private Equity Valuation, Debt Workouts, Debt Restructuring, Bank Debt Raises, Bank Covenants, Senior Secured Debt, Junior Capital, Subordinated Debt, Forecasting, Capital Placement, Credit/Debt, Credit Analysis, Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, M&A (Buy-side), Profit & Loss (P&L), Valuation, Investment Portfolio Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Investment Thesis, Private Company Valuation, Valuation Modeling, Capital Structuring, Accounting
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint
Industry Expertise
Healthcare, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financial Services, Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Banking & Finance
Geographic Expertise
United States
Other
Management, Strategy, Debt Issuance, Health IT, Digital Health, Financing, Early-stage Funding, Pitch Decks, Pitch Deck Consultant, Business Plan Consulting, Market Research & Analysis, Fundraising Consultant, Pitch Preparation, Due Diligence Consultant, Financial Statements, Startups, SBA, Distressed/Special Situations, Private Placements, Credit Modeling, Capital Advisory, Medtech, Pitch Presentations, Debt Financing, Investments, Commercial Lending, Finance, Banking Relationships, Commercial Banking, Loans & Lending, Business Strategy, Investment Banking, Business Planning, Investment Strategy, Deal Flow Origination, Deal Sourcing, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Loans, Storytelling, Early-stage Venture Capital, Business Models, Business Modeling, Angel Investing, Healthcare IT, Investor Presentations, Alternative Investments, Investment Committee Advisory, Investment Manager, Investment Funds, Limited Partnerships, Senior Executive Management, Fundraising Strategy, Investor Relations, Executive Coaching, Strategic Partnerships, Waterfall Modeling, Mentorship & Coaching, Go-to-market Strategy, Medical Devices, Digital, Family Office, Patents, Partnerships, Initial Public Offerings, Trucking, App Development
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